Put It All on the Line

Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

It's pretty hard to beat the 'great outdoors' fresh smell of clothes that are dried on a line. Now that spring has finally arrived in Yukon, we plan to devote several blog posts to the benefits and rewards of ditching your clothes dryer and using drying racks or clotheslines instead. For starters, here are some quick facts about drying clothes:

• An electric clothes dryer draws about six percent of a household’s total electricity usage. It is a powerful emitter of carbon dioxide.
   
• Air drying your clothes regularly can lead to savings on your electricity bill of about $100 a year.
   
• A Yukon family living in a community that is served with diesel electricity can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by three quarters of a ton if they use a clothesline or drying rack regularly. In Whitehorse, which is served mostly by hydro, regular air drying can lead to reductions in GHG emissions by about 15 kilograms a year (on average Yukoners emit 10.5 tonnes of GHG emissions per person per year). 
   
• Other benefits of line drying:
  -Clothes smell better
  -Clothes typically last longer
  -The sun's ultraviolet rays kill germs
  -Clothes act as a humidifier when you hang them indoors to dry
  -Hanging out clothes allows you to get a bit of fresh air and sunlight

Watch this blog in the days ahead for more about air drying your clothes. And we'd love to hear from you...do you line dry your clothes? Why or why not? If not, what would it take to convince you to give line drying a try?

By the way, we invite you to come hang out with us at this year's Yukon Trade Show in Whitehorse on April 29, 30, and May 1. We'll give away free clothespegs, plus you'll have a chance to win an outdoors clothesline or an indoors clothes drying rack.